The Unwilling Candidate
by NovaJhin
Summary: Sakura didn't like the pain in her eye when she dreamed. She didn't like it when she sees things she shouldn't when she was awake too. Those ones hurt the most and there was only so much she could take. Sakura had yet to realise that her fate was an even heavier and far more painful burden. 'I was never given a choice. I just have to be the unwilling candidate.'


From the very second she watched her daughter take her first breath on March 28 at exactly ten fifty-six in the evening, Mebuki knew her daughter was special. She leaned back in relief, her heavy gasps filled the air as she tried to recover from her seven hour labour.

Kizashi's large hand clasped over her own, his thumb rubbing soft soothing circles into the back of her hand. He flashed her a wide smile before leaning over and pulling her head into his shoulder, planting a firm kiss on her sweaty forehead. 'That's our little Miracle Girl!' He laughed and Mebuki couldn't help but agree.

'You have a healthy baby girl,' The midwife began as she handed the small bundle over to Mebuki. The new mother smiled down, giggling at the pink tufts of hair that peeked out of the blanket. At the sound of her mother's laughter, the newborn's eyes cracked open ever so slowly.

Forest green met seafoam. 'Sakura…' she whispered and Kizashi looked at her, 'Your name will be Haruno Sakura. He almost looked sad.

'I wanted to call her Sachiko.' He began and Mebuki sent him a look that made him stop in his tracks. 'May I?' He asked instead, pulling his chair that little bit closer to the bed as Mebuki shifted her weight to pass the baby girl on to him. The instant his arms wrapped around her small delicate frame he agreed. 'Actually… Sakura fits perfectly.' Sakura drifted off to sleep.

As young Sakura grew up her mother would always catch her rubbing her right eye. Mebuki never hesitated to bat her hand away from her eye, nor did she ever forget to hiss at her after.

'Leave it be! You'll keep doing that otherwise. Then you'll cry about it.'

Meanwhile her father never batted an eyelid, continuing his prayer as if nothing happened. Sakura could only glare with her bottom lip jutted out in discomfort as she watch her mother return to a prayer of her own. Minutes of silence passed and the weird tickly feeling in her eye returned.

Sakura wasted no time in rubbing her eye again, a liquidy sound coming from her eye as she furiously tried to make the persistent, annoying, itch go away. For a second it did. In that second, Sakura looked down at her hand and saw blood smeared on the side of her fingers. She yelped.

Kizashi was on her in a second, checking her over as she started to bawl her eyes out, holding her hand over her eye. 'Let me see, Sprout.' His warm baritone soothed her almost immediately. Her loud cries hushed into soft hiccups as she moved her hand and opened her eyes. 'Your eye is all red. We should get that checked out.' he explained and Sakura looked down at her hand, finding it as clean as a whistle, save the tears.

Mebuki rolled her eyes, wanting no part in it. 'I told you to stop rubbing it.' She scoffed as she stood up, 'You can take her to see the doctor in the morning.' She was out the room after that and Kizashi put Sakura to bed.

The young Haruno didn't stay asleep for long. The short hand of the clock barely passed twelve when she woke screaming, thrashing, in her sheets. A cold film of sweat lined her body and a mix of both wet and dry tears on her face. Once more, her father came to the rescue, cradling her to his chest, rocking her until her wails came to a stop.

Kizashi thanked the lords that he had reminded her to use the bathroom before bed when she asked him to stay with her. His feet tucked under the covers of the small sheet as Sakura slowly fell into a slumber. He kissed her hair and laid her down on her pillow before sneaking out to return to his own bed to snuggle up to his wife.

When Sakura's eyes opened that morning her right eye burned with a vengeance. The room around her looked different, yet the same- bloodied yet clean. She clawed at her eye, desperate for the pain to stop as screams ripped from her throat. 'S-stop!' She pleaded to the air around her as she rolled off of the bed, her entire left side meeting the floor first. 'Stop it!' She cried a second time as her breath grew shorter. The more she pleaded, the more pain she felt. 'Stopstopstop _ohplease_ stop.' Her mantra continued as her fingernails edged extremely close to entering the socket of her eye when her parents barged in.

Kizashi dived to his little girl, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her hand away. 'It's okay Sprout, Papa's got you...' He breathed into her hair, just above her ear. He pressed a kiss to her head. This time, his soft words didn't calm her down.

Mebuki knelt down in front of them, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead and then to her eye. 'She's not running a fever but her eye is... very... warm…?' To say she was confused would have been putting it lightly. Kizashi didn't know what to do as he looked at his wife, the sound of Sakura's hyperventilating filling the silence. Mebuki looked down at her daughter, the burning feeling that touching Sakura's eye had on her hand still left a tingle. 'Ice…' She muttered as she stood to her feet, momentarily dizzy when the blood rushed to her head. 'I'll get ice! You calm her down.' She ordered as she ran out the door.

The male's gaze lingered on the door for a moment before turning to his panicking daughter. He shifted her in his arms, 'Sprout,' he called her and she instinctively latched onto the sleeve of his t-shirt. 'Sakura, look at me.' he called her again, this time by name and she opened her eyes, both teary but one far more bloodshot than the other. His gaze softened. 'Take deep breaths with me…' he whispered and took a deep breath.

Sakura tried her best to follow suit, raggedy clipped breaths filling her young lungs. Kizashi nodded slowly and exhaled, his daughter following suit. Mebuki returned with the ice shortly after, wrapped in a tissue. Kizashi didn't look away from Sakura when he stuck his hand out to take the ice from her. She huffed, dropping the ice in his hand and walking out the room. He gently pressed the ice to her eye, eyes widening slightly when he hears the cubes fizzle from under the tissue.

The tissue feels damp in his hands not even twenty seconds in to holding it to her eye but Sakura looked a little bit more relieved, especially now that her hyperventilating had come to a stop. 'Alright Sprout, let's get you ready for the hospital.' _Seems that it's a little more urgent than I first thought._ He tagged on mentally. He told Sakura to keep hold of the ice over her eyes while he quickly grabbed her something to wear. A pair of navy blue shorts and her cute white sweater.

It took him all of 15 minutes to get her dressed and her hair smoothed out. He pulled her petal locks into two low pigtails, a proud smile on his face at how cute she looked. He then remembered that he had forsaken wearing pants when he had come running to his little sprout's aid. 'Let me grab a pair of pants and we'll go have breakfast, okay?' Kizashi smiled down at her, ruffling the loose hairs that framed her small face. Sakura nodded.

Kizashi walked to his room, Sakura following him like a petal in the breeze. He opted to put on a pair of his sweatpants for the outing. Kizashi turned to face his daughter, swooping her up to press another doting kiss on her head. 'Look, Papa!' Sakura chimed as they passed the mirror at the top of the stairs, 'We match!'

True to her observation, Kizashi had on a simple white t-shirt and dark blue sweatpants that matched her own white sweater and blue shorts. Kizashi laughed heartily and Sakura's giggles soon followed after. He carried her down the stairs and into the kitchen where Mebuki was plating up breakfast for the three of them. Sakura laughed more as she re-adjusted her hold on the tissue over her eye, 'Mama matches us too!'

Mebuki turned to face the duo as Kizashi leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek, the plain blue dress swishing around her knees as she did. The male pinkette set Sakura down at the table and the young girl looked down, pulling the sopping wet tissue from her eye. Hesitantly, she opened her right eye. It tickled but nothing else happened. Her parents sat down either side of her, both sending up a silent prayer before digging in. Sakura shuffled in her seat, unsure of what to do with the tissue that felt awfully mushy in her hands.

Kizashi looked over to her and offered her a smile after swallowing his food. 'Let me throw that away for you Sprout. We can get you a new one if you need it.' He offered and she nodded, leaning forwards to drop it into his waiting hand. As she was about to drop the wet tissue into his hands, right before her very eyes, it's shape morphed to that of an eyeball. She froze as it rotated to look her in the eye, her mind registering that it was a brilliant green like her own.

She shrieked, flicking it from her grasp and, unfortunately, straight into her father's breakfast. 'Sakura!' Her parents yelled, her Mama chastising, her Papa worried. Sakura wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Kizashi called her name again and she looked up and instantly regretted it. She could see the image of her Papa, his worried glance apparent as he plucked the eyeball from his soup. She didn't know the other face that was pasted over him, long brown hair and murky black eyes. She couldn't understand what was going on. 'Do you… know who I… am?' his lips read and Sakura could only push her Papa's hand away from her, if it was even his.

'Who are you…?' her voice cracked as she dug her nails into her arm. She could see the sadness in her father's eyes for a brief moment while the superimposed image seemed to smirk, licking its lips before fading. Sakura exhaled, looking at her Papa and seeing only him. A slight curiosity tugged at her thoughts, causing her to take a peek at her Mama. A frown was set in place but her usual forest orbs appeared lifeless and black - she felt herself being sucked in. The pain in her eye flared up again, breaking her out of it, 'Get away!' Sakura cried as she pushed herself away from the table, the chair screeching and she fell onto the floor. 'Just go away… away… away…' She chanted as she curled up on the floor crying.

Like static, a voice crackled to life in the back of her mind. 'Oh, dear Sakura, I can't get away from you.' The words came out like a hollow purr and it sent a chill down her spine and her eye burned fiercely - defiantly even. It made her feel disgusting. She whimpered as it chuckled. 'I need you.' It felt like it had her in a stranglehold. 'And soon enough… you're going to need me.' It breathed into her ear before laughing. It echoed.

Sakura passed out.

When the young pinkette stirred, she was surrounded by white. The kind of white that made her squint to not feel as dizzy as the overpowering colour tried to make her. She groaned, trying to sit up. 'Oh, Sprout!' Papa gasped, and Sakura whipped her head to face him. Her throat felt dry and her voice lost. She looked at him fully, taking him in. Petal shaped hair was dark pink in colour and his eyes were their usual jadites. It was really him. It was really her Papa!

He wrapped his arms around her, a tight hug that radiated warmth and love. She sniffled as she raised her arms to hug him back. Rattling infiltrated her ears and her arms stopped moving. She wriggled out of his grasp to look down. Her arms were chained to the metal frame of the bed she was resting on. 'Papa…?' her voice was bone dry despite being soaked in fear and confusion. She tugged at the metal chains again but they were definitely not giving. When a minute had passed and he hadn't responded, she yanked at the chains once more.

A heavy sigh left his lips. It was a sound that she wasn't used to. 'How are you, Sprout?' A sad smile tugged at his lips and Sakura yanked at the chains again. 'I know baby, it's not fair. I'm sorry.' He leaned forward, his palms pressed to his eyes before a he exhaled a second sigh, just as heavy as the first. Sakura fell back onto the bed with a huff, her arms crossed over her chest. 'How's your eye?'

Now _that_ made Sakura snap upright. It made her aware that she couldn't see a single thing on her right side. No matter how hard she tried, her chained hands couldn't reach her face. She hunched over, patting her face furiously with her bare upper arm and felt fabric over her right eye. Her visible eye went wide and her father put a heavy, calming, hand on her tiny shoulder. 'It's okay sprout.' He smiled as he stood up to get her a much needed cup of water. She gulped it down fast and Kizashi had to fill it two more times before she was even remotely satisfied.

'What's happening Papa? I'm scared…' She wasn't able to will her voice any louder than a whisper. She looked around the room, trying to scan it all with her left eye. 'Where's Mama?' Kizashi slid back into the seat next to her bed.

He held her hand and looked her in the eye. 'I know you're Papa's smart sprout, so I'm going to have to use some big words.' Sakura nodded slowly and Kizashi took a breath. 'Mama has gone home to get you some clothes so she'll be back later. Right now, you're at the hospital. You fell asleep after breakfast and you've been asleep for a week. You got very sick so you had to stay at the hospital.' Sakura squeezed her Papa's hand, before moving her other hand and rattling the chain, unable to find her voice.

Kizashi's frown seemed to tighten. 'When you were feverish, you kept scratching at your eye and crying out in pain. The doctors had no choice to tie you down but you kept ripping out of the regular restraints when the pain was too much. After the third day, they discovered a strange chakra in your eye so they had to call in a Seals Expert. Luckily he was back in the Village for a few days. He made you that eyepatch to keep that weird chakra under control.'

Sakura looked down. _Seals Expert…?_ A low hum passed her lips subconsciously as the image of, what she believed to be, a man flashed through her mind's eye. It was blurry. Lots of red and white seemed to blend together but never forming something coherent. She shook her head, clearing her mind of the thoughts for now, mentally noting it down to try and remember it all at a later date.

She felt her Papa's hand slacken slightly and she looked up at him. 'They said that whatever that chakra was, it was causing you to hallucinate - see things that aren't real.' She watched him slouch, 'They also said that there's the possibility that the seal might not wholly contain whatever that chakra is. It should stop most of pain you had before though.' She looked down, taking it all in.

Kizashi wasn't sure what his daughter was thinking especially when she looked up at him with a surprisingly unreadable expression. 'When can I go home…?' Kizashi smiled at her

'Hopefully tomorrow, Sprout. If the seal in your eyepatch stays stable and you can manage a night without your restraints then the Doc said you'll be good to go.' His eyes looked bright and hopeful, Sakura found herself smiling back just as bright. 'When Mama gets back I'll have to go because visiting hours are already up.' Sakura pouted and Kizashi winked, 'They're letting me stay a little bit longer, just until Mama gets back.'

Sakura sat in the bed as Kizashi told her stories about his week. Sakura nodded every so often, though her mind had long trailed off. _Why can't I remember anything?_ Her eye tickled at her question, causing her to shuffle uncomfortably. _Do I want to remember?_ The tickle went dormant, _I guess that answers that…_ Her eyelids grew heavy.

Sakura was sure when she woke up the next morning that the hospital would refuse to let her go home. She was sure that she must have screamed in her sleep with how dry her throat felt. She lifted a hand to massage it before her brain clicked that she could reach. Her restraints had been removed! Her hands met her face eagerly, exploring the skin and the fabric that covered her eye.

Sakura exhaled far too heavily for a child of age 4. She fell back onto her pillow, her petal hair surrounding her in a halo of pink. She raised her arms, testing her new field of vision - or lack thereof. _It's not so bad._ She tried to tell herself but she scrapped that thought almost immediately when she tried to get out of bed and she put her right hand into the thin air beside the bed.

She tumbled to the floor just as the door to her room opened. 'Oh dear, be careful!' the nurse spoke softly as she helped her up off the floor. 'Not being able to see out of your right eye will take some getting used to.' She explained to Sakura and the young girl nodded. Her emerald eye darted around the room looking for something to drink. 'Ah, would you like a glass of water, Miss Sakura?' and again she nodded.

The nurse stepped across the room with grace and into Sakura's blindspot. She heard the water running and then she was back standing before her, offering her the cup. Just like the last, Sakura gulped it down, and then froze. Between the last three cups of water and now this one… 'I really need to pee…' she mumbled, pink spreading across her cheeks.

The nurse offered her a smile, tucking a lock of chocolate hair behind her ear. 'I can show you to the bathroom.' She offered and Sakura beamed at her in thanks. She even carried the coat hanger looking thing that was somehow still connected to her hand despite her earlier fall.

When they had returned from the bathroom, Sakura found her parents waiting in her room. Kizashi didn't hesitate to scoop her up and plant a kiss to her wide forehead. She wasn't expecting her Mama to hold her hand and run her other through her tousled candy floss hair. She had never really been the type for it as long as she could remember.

'How's our precious little girl?' Kizashi beamed and Sakura laughed, hugging him so close that his beard tickled her eyelashes. She squeezed her Mama's hand too, not letting her get away from the affection. There was a faint smile on her lips which made Sakura's eyes glitter.

The nurse smiled at the display before clearing her throat. 'Good Morning, Mr and Mrs Haruno.' She began and the trio seated themselves on the edge of Sakura's hospital bed. 'My name is Midori Yamoto. I was in charge of watching Sakura last night.' Kizashi shook her hand and offered her the other seat that was by Sakura's bed. She murmured a thank you as she smoothed her skirt and took a seat.

'As you know, we had deemed it necessary to put the restraints on your daughter in order to stop her from inflicting pain on herself in the night.' Her parents nodded while Sakura just stared at Midori, soaking up the information. 'We can confirm that Miss Sakura succeeded in managing the night without the restraints. The Seals Expert passed by and he wanted me to let you know that the seal will definitely hold now that the seal's Infancy Period has passed.'

Sakura looked up at her parents, their relieved faces didn't stop her curious mind from thinking: _Infancy Period…? What does that mean?_ Though she couldn't bring herself to interrupt Midori, she left the thought alone, tacked to the back of her mind.

'On the flipside, it appears that Miss Sakura still has Night Terrors. Some that do occasionally cause her to talk in her sleep. This is possibly from the mental strain from back to back hallucinations.' Sakura put a hand to her throat and her father ruffled her hair, even though his gaze was on Midori. 'Despite that, she didn't wake in the middle of the night, nor did she seemed panicked this morning upon waking up. Aside from needing time to adjust to her impaired vision, Miss Sakura should be fit and ready to go home whenever her paperwork is signed for.' Midori explained and her Papa's smile widened so much Sakura thought his face would split! Even Mama's smile was a bit bigger than before, her eyes shining brightly.

To say Sakura was happy to be home was an understatement. She sighed in bliss when she collapsed, face first, onto her own bed. She flipped herself over, staring at the ceiling. Even with the curtains open and the sun shining through, her room felt that much darker than the stark white she had adjusted to. Turning over she puffed up her cheeks. She turned again. And again. She scrambled for the window, tiptoeing to open it and lean out a little. _I feel like I can't breathe._ She turned to look into her room, beams of light bouncing off the whitewood floors.

She slowly relaxed onto the flats of her feet. 'Something… feels strange…' She mumbled as she looked around the room. Her scan ended prematurely when a wave of nausea hit her and she felt her back it the wall under the window. Haggard breaths passed her lips and her head started to spin. Sakura instantly slapped a tiny palm over her mouth, hoping it would stop whatever it was that was planning to come up but doing so only made it harder for her to breathe. She squeezed her eye shut tight, not sure what else to do. _Why do these things keep happening to me? What did I do?! Papa… Mama..._

Sakura had no knowledge of when she passed out or what the time was. She shakily pushed herself up and nearly teetered right back over when she was upright. Using the wall behind her to steady herself, she looked up at the door across the room and blinked away the blurriness. Sweat trickled down her brow and the dizziness struck once more. Her legs quaked as the door to her bedroom opened. 'Mama…?' She breathed and her eye burned for the first time since she was admitted to the hospital.

The pinkette glanced up at her Mama as her expression changed, 'Honey!' She shouted for her husband and Sakura swore she saw a scowl dressing her features before she turned back to face her with a worried look on her face.

 _She looks different…_ her brain seemed to tell her. It took all of her effort to analyse her Mama's face while the dizziness took a hold. Her face still looked the same, the lines around her mouth looked more apparent and her eyes looked darker. _Her eyes!_ Sakura inwardly gasped. They got darker and darker as she neared and her hidden eye only flamed in protest. Sakura screamed and the older woman flinched, freezing on the spot. Kizashi ran past her, scooping her up in an instant, juggling her and trying to calm her down. Sakura pounded her tiny fist into her Papa's shoulder in discontent. He didn't stop and Sakura felt the earlier sickness return.

She vomited over his shoulder and Kizashi shivered as it trickled down his back. He plastered on a smile for his daughter though. 'Do you feel better now, Sprout?' he asked as he wiped her damp eye. Sakura pouted but nodded. 'I wonder what made you sick…' He pondered to himself. Though her eye still burned, it didn't feel so bad when Papa held her. He's like a big protective blanket that made it go away. Sakura turned, facing her Mama, watching the murkiness filter from her eyes. This time she saw it and she was sure!

 _That's not Mama._


End file.
